Thursday, February 6, 2014

SUBARU CONFIRMS DRIVER LINE UP FOR THE 2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Despite some challenging times in the 2013 Global Rallycross Championship, Subaru are committed to staying the course in their bid for victory in GRC. Photo Neil McDaid / Rally World News

Cherry Hill, N.J., February 6, 2014 – Subaru of America, Inc. has confirmed their return to the Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) for the 2014 season. Former three-time European Rallycross Champion and 2013 X Games Rallycross Medalist Sverre Isachsen will return to the team, along with Bucky Lasek, one of the World’s most iconic skateboarders, who began professionally racing with Subaru in 2012. Joining the squad at the X Games Austin round of the GRC will be action sports superstar Travis Pastrana. The team will field 2014 Subaru WRX STI Rallycross cars prepared by technical partner Vermont SportsCar.

“The sport of Rallycross continues to gain interest in the USA,” stated Rob Weir, Motorsports Marketing Manager. “We’re seeing GRC’s proposed TV coverage and fan experience at events this season as a win-win. The turbocharged, all-wheel drive powertrain of a Rallycross car is extremely similar to a production Subaru WRX STI; so the sport, along with rallying, is the ideal platform to display the performance abilities of Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.”
Sverre Isachsen led the Subaru Rallycross program in podiums and total points last season. “I’m very happy to return with Subaru to GRC. We worked very hard to improve our results last season. This year I know we can win,” stated Sverre Isachsen.
Bucky Lasek was awarded the prestigious GRC Sportsman of the Year last season; which is voted on by fellow GRC competitors. “I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of my Subaru again, as well as working with such a devoted team,” explained Lasek. “We gained momentum last season as we developed the STI for Rallycross; and 2014 looks to be a defining year for us!”
In addition to the Global Rallycross program Vermont SportsCar manages Subaru of America’s efforts in the Rally America National Championship, where the team has won seven of the last eight Titles.

For 2014 Travis Pastrana will return to Subaru, he will not only compete in GRC but will also return to the Rally America Championship. Photo Neil McDaid /Rally World News

Subaru recently announced the return of Travis Pastrana who joins defending Rally Champion David Higgins at Subaru Rally Team USA. Pastrana will also join Lasek and Isachsen at the GRC Round at X Games Austin in June.
The Subaru GRC team will start their season in the 2014 WRX STI that features a 600 horsepower, turbocharged Subaru Boxer Engine and Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, with plans to debut the all-new 2015 Subaru STI later in the year. “We’ve had the new 2015 Subaru STI in our shop for some time now, and are deep into the development process on this new car,” explains Lance Smith, Team Principal at Vermont SportsCar. “Our engineering team is extremely impressed with the advancement in chassis and handling performance. Both our Rally and Rallycross cars will take a big evolutionary step in performance with this new design.”
The highly-praised Subaru Launch Control video series, which achieved over 11 million views in 2013, and gave racing fans a never before seen view into the Subaru Rally & Rallycross programs, will return for a second season later this year. Subaru has also launched an all-new motorsports website at www.subaru.com/rally, offering expanded images and videos for motorsports enthusiasts.